Before you decide which eBook self-publishing platform you want to use to create your eBook, you need to know some things about your eBook and yourself. Narrowing down your options for the self-publishing tools and platforms you’ll ultimately use can be frustrating if you don’t know how to do it properly. A few simple steps can get you there in no time.

Know Your Work

“Know what all you want to do”

First, you should know what your work is about and what it isn’t. If you’re a comedian, your work probably won’t save lives and be inspirational. If you’re an accountant, your work probably won’t make people laugh. Can these things ever overlap? Sure, there are probably some funny accountants out there, but knowing if your work fits both these categories or not is going to help you decide the following points.

Know What You Want to Do with Your eBook

If you want your eBook to be interactive and show people step-by-step instructions on accounting, you’ll need a self-publishing platform that can do that for you. If you want your eBook to contain videos of you doing stand-up comedy routines, you’ll want that imbedded in your eBook and a platform that can make it happen.

Know How Much Work You Can Put into the eBook

“Know what all you want to include into your ebook”

If you can’t put a lot of work into your eBook because you’re busy with another job, you will want to go with a company that can do the bulk of the work for you. If you’re willing to do the majority of the work yourself, you’ll need a platform that’s easy for you to use and understand. Determine your skills and time and look at all of the eBook self-publishing platform options available to you.

Narrow Down Your List of Needs and Wants

When you look at what you need versus what you want, you may think you’re at a crossroads. This doesn’t have to be a conflict for you. Make a list of all of your needs (a company that offers support, one that has a site to promote and host your eBook, etc.) and a separate list of all of your wants (interactive features, discussion panels, and so forth), then determine if there is a company that fits all of them. Chances are that there will be many. However, if you don’t find one, start eliminating things from the “wants” list before you do so with the “needs” list.

Make Your Decision

“Choose the best ebook publishing software according to your needs and wants”

After you’ve listed your needs and wants, determined your skills and time you can devote to self-publishing, and decided what your work is all about. Look for companies that have agreat reputation in the eBook world, as well as sell-publishing companies that you may not have heard of. Read reviews of all the companies and see what they can offer you. Based on your research and your work, choose the company that best fits what you need.

Choosing a self-publishing platform to use is not always easy. Know your work, know your needs and wants, and know what you can and cannot devote to the process of making your eBook. Narrowing down your options by sticking to your needs and being true to your work will help you find the company that can help you self-publish and create the eBook you’ve always dreamed of publishing.